Electric railway-signal.



No. 737,053. I PATENTBD AUG. 25, 1903. H. A. AMMANN & A. D. CAMPBELL.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR..9. 190s.

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ELECTRIC RAIL-WAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 9. 1903.

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PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. AMMANN AND ALBERT D. CAMPBELL, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 737,055 3, dated August25, 1903.

Application filed March 9, 1903.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HENRY A. AMMANN and ALBERT D. CAMPBELL, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane andState of lVashi'ngton, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin'Electric Railway-Signals; and we do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention, which relates to signaling appliances adapted moreespecially for use in connection with electric railways to signal theapproach and location of cars or trains, is an improvement on theconstruction of signal appliance which forms the subject-matter of ourapplication for patent filed November 19, 1902, Serial No. 131,933.

The nature of the present improvements will be readily understood,reference being bad to the following detailed description and to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly insection, of a signaling appliance embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is asimilar View with certain of the parts in a different position. Fig. 3is a transverse sectional View on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is asideelevation, partly in section, of another form of signaling applianceembodying our invention. Fig. 5 is a similar view with certain of theparts-in another position.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 denotes the support resting onand securely fastened to the trolley-wire 2, and is the trolley-wheel.

On the support 2 is a hood 4 ofarch form in cross-section, the functionof which is to protect the circuit making and breaking parts from rainand snow. The ordinary trolley-wire hanger (not shown) may be used tosupport the hood 4 when advisable, or the hood may be held by thesupport 1 and the hanger. Fixed to and depending from the hood 4 areears 5 5, in openings in which is mounted a rod 6, on which is pivotallysupported, through the-medium of cars 7 7, a plate 8, having a roundedlower. end. Secured to the plate is an arm 9,which extends upwardlySerial No. 146,957., (No model.)

' from the plate and over the rod 6 and thence forwardly, and its freeend is provided with a contact-surface 10. Secured to the under side ofthe hood 4 is a fixed contact 11, preferably insulated from the hood andlocated in the path of the free end of the arm 9. The plate 8 may be ofinsulating material throughout or the secured end of the arm 9 may beinsulated from the plate, as shown at 12. The arm 9 may, as shown at 13,Figs. 1 and 3, be coiled around rod 6 or may have the single bend.(Shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 5.)

14, Figs. 1 and 2, is a retracting coiled spring, attached at its endsto eyes respectively on the plate 8 and hood 4. I11 Figs. 4 and 5 wehave shown in lieu of the coiled spring 14 a leaf-spring 15, which issecured by a depending end to the plate 8 and presses at its free endagainst the under side of the hood 4. The function of the spring 14 andthe spring 15 is to restore the plate 8 to its normal vertical positionand to prevent the sending in of false signals, which might otherwise becaused by rebound of the arm, windpressure, and so forth.

15 is a spring similar to the spring 15, secured bya depending end tothe plate 8 and extending in a direction oppositeto the latter springand pressing at its free end against the hood. The spring 15 operateswith the spring 15 to center the plate after movement to the right andto restore the plate to normal position after movement to the'left by acar or train going in that direction. springs 15 15 are independent ofthe arm 9.

In practice the plate normally assumes the vertical position. (Shown inFigs. 1, 3, and 4.) In such normal position of the plate the contact-arm9 and fixed contact 11 are in separated relation. An electric circuit isestablished through circuit-wires 16 and 17, respectively, leading fromthe arm 9 and contact 11, by the engagement of said arm' and fixedcontact in the movement to the right of the plate 8, this beingaccomplished by the trolley-wheel 3, the plate extending into the pathof the wheel sufficiently to provide for the requisite extent ofmovement.- The spring 14 or spring 15 operates to restore the normalposition of the parts and to separate the con- The tacts and break thecircuit after the wheel has passed, and said spring 14 or spring" 15also prevents the rebound of the plate and the sending in of a falsesignal by second engagement of the contacts. A car or train running in adirection to the left will move the parts to the left without producinga signal, but will send in a distinctive signal from areversely-disposed appliance. The arm 9 being of resilient material willyield after engagement of the contacts, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, theadjustment of the parts being preferably such that the engagement willtake place some time before the plate has reached the end of itsmovement to the right, whereby a good contact between the parts 10 and11 is insured.

WVe claim as our invention 1. A circuit'closer for electric railwaysignaling appliances, consisting of a support, a swinging plate thereon,a spring-arm extending from the plate at its pivot and carrying acontact, a contact in the path of the aforesaid contact, and means forretracting the plate and arm after movement.

2. A circuit closer for electric railway signaling appliances,consisting of a support, a swinging plate thereon, a spring-armextending from the plate at its pivot and carrying a contact, a contacton the support in the path of the aforesaid contact, and springsextending forwardly and rearwardly of the plate and engaging the supportto retract the plate after movement in either direction.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

HENRY A. AMMANN. ALBERT D. CAMPBELL. Witnesses:

A. W. WITHERsPooN, E. STANDLEY.

